Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : Bonnie Rannald

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Thursday, December 30, 2021

Challenges, Adventures and Highlights of 2021

Weather Issues mostly define the past year

Living in the Great Basin Desert of Nevada and only an hour drive from East Central California this past year's weather has been a big issue. The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has listed 2021 as the driest year over the past 127 years.

The winter was exceptionally mild and dry which contributed to less snow-pack. In the past years January was my best month for catching a snow covered landscape.

The lack of adequate moisture in winter and early spring left the desert floors dry. My favorite areas for collecting wildflower photographs were showing mostly dry vegetation.

The water level at Mono Lake, California was much lower due to extreme drought conditions.

This summer season was one of the worse for wildfires and most were caused from dry lightning. The smoke drifted for hundreds of miles and it was extremely unhealthy to be outdoors.

On a positive note, we were treated to a partial lunar eclipse in the early morning hours of August 28th. The weather seemed to cooperate with clear skies for this event.

The lack of moisture not only effects the desert flora, it also impacts the color changes of foliage in autumn. A day trip to Virginia Lake in Mono County, California found that most of the aspens had either dropped their leaves or the colors were not as vibrant.

With the arrival of late autumn, the weather has started to producing more moisture with rain and even snow.

Along with all the weather changes Covid-19 was still a huge issue and my personal goal in life has been to stay as healthy as possible. I am looking forward to reaching new grounds in my photo-adventures and possibly trying some different avenues for expression.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that space in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

The years have a way of slipping by with so many photos and great adventures, it was time to build a new photography website. After much contemplation, I was able to narrow down my files from the thousands of photographs collected over the years.

Welcome to my new Bonnie Rannald's Reflecting Nature's Artistry Website that is Google Compliant, Mobile Friendly and "Responsive".

http://www.bonnierannald.com

Photography has the ability to transport one to another world or dimension if only in their mind. Take a trip with me as we embark on ever new photo-adventures.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Visit our website at: http://www.bonnierannald.com/

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Deserts, Stars and a Rose

The Story Behind the Inspiration

I have been asked many times how I came to adopt the Southwestern Desert as my home and the inspiration behind my photography. My answer to this that I try to keep as simple as possible is, I was offered a coaching position at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). However my intrigue with the desert began long before I ever stood on the sandy soil and marveled at the amazing beauty on a clear, warm night.

During my freshman year of college, a friend who was getting ready to graduate presented me with a special gift, the novella. "The Little Prince" by French writer, poet and pioneering aviator, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The Little Prince is written as a children's book with self-illustrated watercolors about a pilot who becomes stranded in the Sahara Desert when his airplane crashes. While trying to repair his plane, the pilot meets up with a young prince that has just arrived to Earth from his home on a small asteroid. In essence, through vivid use of characters and symbolism, Saint-Exupéry explores the childhood innocence lying dormant in all of us and the sacred bond of friendship that extends beyond distance and time.

Some of my endearing exerts from The Little Prince:

"I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams...".

"The house, the stars, the desert -- what gives them their beauty is something that is invisible!"

"If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night. All the stars are a-bloom with flowers."

“What makes the desert beautiful,' said the little prince, 'is that somewhere it hides a well".

“All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems... But all these stars are silent. You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them... In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night..You, only you, will have stars that can laugh! And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me... You will always be my friend.You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure... It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh”

From the time spent exploring the Mojave Desert, watching the sunsets or hearing the laughter of the stars on a warm, clear night, a bond formed and the desert became my home. I do not know when or how the aviation bug bit me or if it was sparked by Saint-Exupéry, however on a warm March morning in 1982 I passed my private pilot's proficiency test and began to marvel at the desert's beauty from the cockpit of a single engine airplane.

The small novella by Saint-Exupéry not only touched my emotions, but perhaps left a huge impression that has influenced my adult life. After all these years, I still hear the laughter of the stars and become sentimental when I see a single rose.

For more information follow these links:

The Little Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Full Moon over Las Vegas

Making the Poster

Back in the glory days of Las Vegas before it became the world's entertainment capitol for all age groups to experience Monte Carlo, New York and Paris by just walking across the street, the famous Strip was laid out with an incredible view from an area by Russell and Industrial Roads. Driving along this route one night, I saw the most beautiful full moon rising above the casinos in the east. The moon as is often the case in the Desert Southwest seemed to be artificial, appearing bigger than life. I made a promise to myself that I was going to photograph this scene in the near future.

On a calm, clear night in July 1995, I managed to catch the full moon rising just as I had seen it on that special night. The "Full Moon over Las Vegas" became one of my most popular photographs and I was approached by The Insider Viewpoint of Las Vegas to reproduce it into a poster. As a result, five thousand 15"x26” posters were printed to represent this historical landmark view of the Las Vegas Strip.

Through popular demand, the Full Moon over Las Vegas Poster was printed for a second run and is now available for the first time on my website. For information to order the Full Moon over Las Vegas Poster, please follow the link:

Full Moon Over Las Vegas, Nevada

With my Nikon and tripod, my goal is to recreate the scene as it appears in nature, to preserve in a photographic image the awesome, yet simplistic beauty of the scene that waits around a bend or over a hill. Sometimes it's a colorful landscape, and many times I'm allowed in the presence of the numerous creatures that adapt to life in the wild.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Art of Photography

Creating the Photograph

In this technological age where pocket cameras and phones are producing photographs with the quality comparable to that of a Hassleblad, I am ever minded of the quote from Ansel Adams, “You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

How often do these traits mentioned by Adams still hold true when the art of producing photographs has become as common as serving a prepackaged gourmet meal from the microwave. Looking over Adam's background, an early childhood devotion to music, an appreciation for the arts, plus a love for our natural environment greatly influenced his photography. Furthermore, Adams developed his mastery of photography through countless hours of reading, observing art exhibits and attending camera club meetings. During the time that Adams was perfecting his camera skills, he was also conditioning his body for the strength and stamina needed to carry the heavy equipment over rugged trails and higher elevations in Yosemite Valley, California.

At this point, maybe you are curious as to why I am making comparisons with Ansel Adams and present day photographers. I suppose it is due to the numerous requests that I receive from people who want to get in to photography and enjoy what I'm doing. As a seasoned professional photographer, I am always amazed by these requests, especially when it comes from a novice who thinks photography is the easiest art medium to pursue.

I get amused when I reflect over the times I stood in the freezing cold and waited for a photo that never materialized. Or the day I was out in the desert hiking with a backpack of camera equipment and a lightning storm was moving in. Yes, photography is easy when a snapshot is taken from the inside of a climate controlled car.

So over and above the fitness training that I perform on a daily basis, as with Adams, my photographs are a composite from my background in music, studies in fine art, a MA degree and countless hours perfecting my skill. I create my photographs by carefully composing the scene and then adjusting the exposure per the available light within the camera before I ever release the shutter. Shooting in the RAW mode, any additional adjustments are made to the photograph with Lightroom editing software.

My mentor once compared the making of a photograph to that of cooking a gourmet meal: the careful preparation and slow simmering to bring out the flavor of all the ingredients. How true I've found this to be when the photograph has that WOW factor and pops right off the wall.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Reno Open Studios Art Scholarship Fund

Nevada's Desert Bighorn Sheep Donated Art

Art touring with Reno Open Studios is just around the calendar, on September 7th. through the 9th. from 10:00am until 5:00pm. I am privileged to share studio space with Sculpture by Michael Smith at 430 Sunnyside Drive. For more information please follow the link posted below.

Along with demonstrating the art process and having selected products for purchase, the Reno Open Studios artists also provide funding for art scholarships for high school seniors that will be matched through the Ronald McDonald House. To raise the funds, the individual artists donate original art creations that will be raffled during the Open Studios Tour.

My donated art is an 8"x10" photograph of Nevada's Desert Bighorn Sheep hunkering down in a winter snow storm. The photograph is custom framed to 11"x14" in a rustic wooden frame.

Donation tickets will be available for purchase during the open studios with the winning ticket to be drawn on Sunday afternoon, just before closing at 4:45pm. The winner will be notified by telephone and is not required to be present.

Come out and join us for a weekend of art touring. For maps and information, please click on the links:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/events/ROSMaps.pdf

http://www.sculpturebymichael.com/events.htm

http://www.sculpturebymichael.com/

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Reno Open Studios

Art Touring in Reno, Nevada

On this blog post, I would like to introduce you to Reno Open Studios and give everyone a personal invitation to join us September 7~9th.

Reno Open Studios is a group of Northwestern Nevada’s finest visual artists who open their studios during the second weekend in September to the public. During the art touring event, the individual artists will demonstrate their work and techniques, plus this is a great opportunity to purchase the art directly from the artist.

Since my art medium is nature photography, I would like to take you on a short tour of my studio. Along with spending time on the computer processing RAW digital images in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, I also enjoy countless hours in the open studio of nature.

Being a professional nature photographer with a background in athletics, I get many requests to photograph outdoor events.

Event photography is exciting and very challenging because it puts me in the moment and I only get that one click of the shutter to get it right.

Sometimes my photography gets me in to interesting places like the Temecula Tractor Races with Stephanie Prescott, co-producer for NBC's Tournament of Roses Parade telecast.

Most of the time, my photography is spent on scenes of nature that I just happen to come upon, like with this group of Desert Bighorn Sheep waiting it out in a snow storm. By the way, this framed 11"x14" photograph is my donation to the Reno Open Studio's art scholarship fund. Donation tickets will be available at my studio location.

For maps and additional information, please follow the link:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/events/ROSMaps.pdf

http://www.bonnierannald.com/enews.htm

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Photgraphing Fourth of July Fireworks

Pyrotechnics Fun

With Independence Day coming up real soon, I thought I would share some tips on how I photograph pyrotechnics. But first, let me give some background information on my favorite place for getting the photos. The small desert town of Hawthorne, Nevada has an annual tradition with a fireworks display on the Fifth of July. The reason for this is because they can get the pyrotechnics at a discounted rate but the show is none the less spectacular.

Arriving early, I drive out and set up at a favorite location in the desert with a clear view of the sky, far from street lights and traffic. With my Nikon secured to the heavy Bogan tripod, I've selected the 35-70mm 2.8 lens which is wide enough for a clear shot of the sky and I can also crop in as needed. A cable release is used to hold the shutter open on bulb setting; this allows me to catch the trail of fireworks from the initial burst.

Catching the fireworks at the beginning of the exhibition is important, when there is less smoke and haze.

Auto focus doesn't work well for fireworks, so I pre-focus on an object close to where the fireworks will be exploding and use manual focus. I will check the camera's monitor often to see if I am getting the desired results.

Timing the bust is critical to catch all the action. However, holding the shutter open too long and you get blown out highlights.

Wishing everyone a safe and spectacular Independence Day, check back after the Fifth, new photos will be posted from the 2012 exhibit.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Reno Open Studios Closing Reception

Thanks to Truckee Meadows Community College and Candace Nicole

On Wednesday, June 20, 2012, the Truckee Meadows Community College hosted the Closing Reception for the Reno Open Studios Preview Exhibit. The exhibit was a prelude to the art touring by the members of Reno Open Studios which will be in September on the 7th. through the 9th. where the individual artists open their studios for viewing and demonstrations to the public. More information about this event with the Open Studios will be posted on a future blog.

A special thank you to Truckee Meadows Community College Art Gallery Curator Candace Nicol for hosting the Reno Open Studios exhibit. This was an outstanding opportunity for showcasing our art work, the presentation was excellent and the reception was most gracious.

Along with the open studios art tours, Reno Open Studios will be having a fund raiser by selling raffle tickets for art work donated by the members, the proceeds will go toward art scholarships. More information will be available in the near future.

http://www.tmcc.edu/vparts/artgalleries

www.RenoOpenStudios.com.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Story behind the Camera

Snow Tree at La Madre Springs

During the month of June, 2012, Reno Open Studios is featuring a preview of the 2012 visual artists with an exhibit at the Truckee Meadows Community College Main Art Gallery beginning on June 1st, through June 25th. The art work that I selected for the exhibit is entitled "Snow Tree at La Madre Springs". Since I have been asked many times how I got this photo, I decided to give some background information in this blog post.

The weather always seems to take a turn for the worst over Thanksgiving weekend out here in the Southwestern U.S. And this was sure the case when I happened upon the image that I named the Snow Tree at La Madre Springs. I was living on the west side of Las Vegas which was just a quick drive from the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area when I noticed dark, moisture laden clouds moving in over the Spring Mountains. I grabbed my camera gear and rushed out for possible photos.

It had been snowing at the higher elevations of Red Rock Canyon and the patterns on the cacti made for nice macro photos. I was using a Nikon 50mm macro lens when I saw the outline of the bare trunk of an old dead piñon pine in the distance. A number of factors were involved which forced my decision to take the landscape scene with the macro lens. Heavy, dark clouds were moving in fast, it was snowing harder and I had wandered a good distance from my other camera gear in the Jeep. Realizing that I had just seconds to capture the image, I clicked the shutter with an aperture of f/5.6. I was allowed just two frames before it became so dark I could hardly find my way back to the safety of my vehicle.

When the film was processed and I saw the one frame that turned out well, I was both delighted and surprised at the outcome. The snow was accenting the outline of the tree and the shutter speed just happened to be fast enough to freeze the action of the falling snow but also create a blurred, Monet effect.

For more information on Reno Open Studios Preview Exhibit:

http://bonnierannald.blogspot.com/2012/06/tmcc-main-art-gallery-reception-for.html

"Snow Tree at La Madre Springs" is available for purchase, please visit my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/CUSTOM/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9_10_11&products_id=85

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download.

Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature.

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Next Post

Challenges, Adventures and Highlights of 2021

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Deserts, Stars and a Rose

Monday, February 18, 2013

Full Moon over Las Vegas

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Art of Photography

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Reno Open Studios Art Scholarship Fund

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Reno Open Studios

Monday, July 2, 2012

Photgraphing Fourth of July Fireworks

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Reno Open Studios Closing Reception

Thanks to Truckee Meadows Community College and Candace Nicole

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Story behind the Camera

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